A Canadian Celiac Blog

A Conversation with Desiree Nielsen and Ellen Bayens

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

A plant-based diet has many formats and can go by many names including vegetarian and vegan.  On this episode I speak with Ellen Bayens about her recent pivot from gluten free to a plant-based gluten free diet.  Recently, Ellen introduced me to a fellow podcaster, Desiree Nielsen, who is also a registered dietitian.  This was a great opportunity to ask all the questions I’ve ever had about a plant-based diet and how it fits for someone who must adhere to a strict gluten free diet.  Ellen talks about how she decided to try a plant-based diet, how she started and how she’s truly enjoying exploring new foods and flavours.  Desiree walks us through the simplicity of the diet and gives us some specific tips to keep plant-based gluten free.  You can listen to Desiree’s podcast – The Allsorts Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, or you can listen online at https://desireerd.com/podcast/.  You can also find more information about Desiree’s book and her recipes at https://desireerd.com/.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I’ve been on different diets ever since I was a child, all with a goal of weight loss.  Some worked, at least temporarily, and some didn’t.  It wasn’t until I received my celiac diagnosis that a diet was going to be my ticket to health.  I approached the gluten free diet as I would medicine – something I had to adhere to.  I’m glad I did.

It’s been over twenty-five years since I’ve been eating gluten free and in that time, I’ve again taken up different diet restrictions to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight – while staying strictly gluten free.

The idea of choosing a strictly plant-based diet seems like such a drastic step.  I can appreciate the health benefits, and the fact that vegan/vegetarian meals and foods are more widely available these days, but, the change to plant-based just seems overwhelming.

My discussion with Ellen and Desiree was the first time I heard about making the transition to plant-based gradual, and maybe even never 100%.  To me, diets were all or nothing, so this more casual approach had never occurred to me.  As I think now, my older brother showed up to family dinner a couple of years ago saying he no longer ate red meat – just chicken or fish.  Somehow, in my all or nothing brain, I didn’t see that on the spectrum of easing into a plant-based diet.  Just as knowing Ellen had jumped into plant-based and then says once a week she eats meat, goes against my strict diet brain.  Maybe that’s a good thing.  Maybe experimenting with plant-based and the new flavours and recipes it brings is a direction I’m ready to try.  I can’t say I’m going to go plant-based, but I will say I’ll try and incorporate some new ingredients and flavours into my current gluten free diet and recognize some of my current meals as plant-based to get me started.  Who knows, maybe I’ll discover a new favourite meal.

A Conversation with Carla

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

There are many things that those of us on a gluten free diet must learn quickly once we receive our diagnosis.  For many of us the most challenging is how to prepare and safely eat a gluten free diet, while living in a household that eats gluten.  Carla and I discuss this common situation.  We offer different suggestions for day-to-day coping and highlight the idea that every family situation is different.  What might work for you and your family may not be workable for another.  The strictness of the diet is something we all have in common, as well as the frustration of educating our family members.  Both Carla and I agree that over time, as a family you will settle into routines that are work-able for your situation – family members begin to understand and accept, children get older and have a greater understanding, and the celiac family member gets better, which makes it all worthwhile.  Carla is a co-host on my other podcast “Gluten Free Weigh In” and she finds following an intermittent fasting lifestyle works for weight loss and makes her gluten free diet easier to cope with.  You can find Carla on Instagram @celiac_and_the_suburbs

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

Very soon after a diagnosis of celiac disease it hits you – you are trying to understand the diet, but you are forced to live in a world (home) filled with gluten.

For me, coming over to the gluten free side, initially had me sympathising with the gluten eating factions of the household, and to be fair I was one of them just a few days earlier.  How could I ask them to give up foods they loved to be company for me on a diet that I didn’t fully understand or feel comfortable working with.  I suspect most households in this situation do exactly as I did – make separate meals.  On the surface this seems okay, even simple.  Many of us have had to cater to picky eating children, or guests who aren’t eating what we laid out for them.  Over time, preparing an extra main course or side, was just something we accepted. 

Until gluten free.  Preparing separate meals, or actually, two different menus for the same meal is more work, but it’s also fraught with the dangers of cross-contamination – separate everything, but often only one pair of hands doing the work.  I remember struggling.

Then a few months later, my almost five-year-old daughter was diagnosed celiac as well.  This changed everything.  For some reason, I hadn’t felt that I should reach out for help if it was just me needing gluten free, but when it was the two of us, that’s exactly what I did. 

I found another young mother who had been working with the gluten free diet for a few years and she gave me some very wise advice, which stuck with me –

Allow gluten eating members of the family to eat gluten for breakfast and lunch, but at dinner, when you all sit down together, it should be gluten free.  Make exceptions as you are comfortable, and expect gluten eaters to eat some of their gluten extravagances outside of the home (fast food, or wings with the guys, or school cafeterias).  They won’t miss out on their favourites and the family can come together for a meal that won’t make anyone ill.

I pretty much stuck to this advice – we did usually make two kinds of pasta and always kept a separate toaster, but for most dinners everyone ate gluten free.  Simple guidelines like this allowed the rest of the family to understand our diet, and support us, as well as allowing me to keep my sanity.  In short – do what works for you, don’t over-do for others or under-do for yourself.

A Conversation with Jon Murthy

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

On this episode I speak with Jon Murthy, Head of Global Marketing for BRCGS.  This is the organization that certifies foods for the CCA gluten free logo, as part of their many certification programs.  Originally, this operation was performed by a relatively small, but knowledgeable group in Canada, but moving this important function to a multi-national, multi-discipline certification body, brings an entirely new perspective to gluten free food safety.  Jon discusses the process a company must go through to achieve certification, as well as the complexities of companies producing and exporting ingredients and prepared foods to maintain their certification status.  This global perspective is a complicated concept, but BRCGS certainly seems up to the international challenge.

You can find out more about BRCGS at https://www.brcgs.com/

You can also get more information about food recalls on Canadian Celiac Association website under the Living Gluten Free tab.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

Two things hold true.  We all get excited when we see foods we usually buy, especially gluten free foods on sale; and, we universally complain about the cost of gluten free foods.

We all want the portion of our budgets devoted to grocery store foods, to be as little as possible, and when it comes to gluten free foods, they often take a big bite out of our budgets. 

I remember when I operated my gluten free bakery, I worked hard to source gluten free ingredients, and that often meant having the ingredients tested before they arrived at my shop.  This led to relatively narrow supply lines, something that regular gluten bakeries don’t experience.  In my bakery, we regularly used ten different gluten free flours.

This is just one example of the complexities of producing gluten free as compared to “regular” food.  Gluten free takes more care, that’s just the nature of making food safe for those with food restrictions.   Besides checking all the ingredients, more care includes things like –

• meeting labelling requirements for gluten free
• ensuring all packaging materials entering the facility have not been exposed to flour or gluten
• ensuring all cleaning products and materials used on site are free from gluten
• sourcing smaller batch ingredients for consistent quality and gluten content (i.e. it’s relatively easy to find nuts labelled gluten free in the grocery store, but much harder to find them in 5kg boxes)
• ensuring deliveries of tested, safe ingredients are not contaminated with gluten in the truck delivering them to my door
• ensuring the staff entering the bakery do not bring in any foods containing gluten, even crumbs on their clothes

More care directly translates into cost for the producer.  Larger food producers have their own cost issues with dedicated production and packaging lines.  Without even mentioning the cost of gluten free certification, it’s clear to see that producing safe gluten free food costs more from the beginning.  We all like to see the certification symbols on products, but those also have a cost.  Reading labels is easier with a gluten free symbol.  We accept that we have to pay more for gluten free foods, but it does ease the burden, if only slightly when we understand why.

A Conversation with Ellen Bayens

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

It’s the beginning of June and that means another informative conversation with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com.  This past month Ellen has brought us a great deal of information. We start out with a couple of studies, the first into attitudes among celiacs towards dating.  There is much hesitation, social anxiety and a tendency towards risky behaviour (gluten-wise).  Although Ellen and I are not in the target age group for this study, we can relate to many of the hesitancies from our own lives that are amplified in the dating scene.  The second study is an eye-opening look at the awareness of celiac disease in the dental profession.  Dr. Melissa Ing, whom I have interviewed for this podcast, surveyed a group of dental professionals before a celiac information session and then again after.  She was able to teach them a great deal in a short time regarding questions to be asked when certain symptoms are identified. 

Ellen has once again brought us new resources, we didn’t even know we needed.  Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto has come out with new teaching modules about celiac disease and the gluten free diet.  These modules are interactive and suitable for young children to do with parents, or for older kids to do on their own.  The information is set out in an easy to use format that would be useful to educate other family members and friends.  Ellen shows us a novel way to use the restaurant translation cards from celiactravel.com.  On a different level Honeycomb.ai brings us an artificial intelligence solution to finding just the right meal at just the right restaurant to meet your specialty diet needs.  Ellen introduces us to Desiree Neilsen RD, who has started a new podcast called The Allsorts Podcast, in which she gets down to earth with practical diet knowledge that will help us all make better food choices.  She is a proponent of a plant based diet, and that suits Ellen just fine.

Two related topics are discussed – the 10 biggest challenges faced by the gluten free community, and how to order a gluten free meal at a restaurant.  There’s lots of overlap here.  Finally Ellen tells us about a study that is being done for US patients on atopic dermatitis, and you can get paid to participate.  So much news, I think this is my longest interview episode yet.  Thanks Ellen.

Here are the links to more information –

68% Celiacs Report Disease Has a Moderate to Major Impact on Dating

Dental Practitioners’ Awareness of Oral Manifestations of Celiac Disease Improves with Education

AboutKidsHealth Adds 2 New Teaching Modules to their Celiac Disease Resource

Celiactravel.com Restaurant Cards Make Local and International Dining Easier

Introducing the Honeycomb.ai Restaurant App – Never Get Glutened Again

Our Mia Makes it into Medical School!

Introducing Your New Fave Nutrition Podcast: The Allsorts Podcast

Top Ten Challenges Facing the Gluten-Free Community

How to Order a Gluten-Free Meal

Atopic Dermatitis Study Seeks US Residents – Earn $50
Study of Caregivers to Celiac Children Seeks US Residents – Earn $225

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I find it interesting that there are so many different groups taking surveys of how we feel about having celiac disease or being gluten sensitive.  Lots of different angles – young and dating, eating in restaurants, our pain points, how parents can cope with kids.  The topics we’ve been asked about are endless.

When I read the results of these surveys, there are certainly common threads. 

Yes, eating out is difficult.  You think it gets easier, but I think we actually get used to the issues.

Yes, explaining to our friends and family why are lives and meals are different is never easy, but as we get older, there are fewer people to hear our explanations, so maybe everyone else is getting used to that.

Yes, we are all hoping the next generation doesn’t have the same struggles.  For the most part gluten free food is so much easier to find now and we don’t usually get a crossways look when we ask questions in a restaurant because they do know what we’re asking about, even if they don’t have the correct answers.

Yes, testing is getting better and more widely available, so hope is still there that more of those suffering will find the answers they need to feel better and get healthy.

Yes, doctors are becoming more aware, slowly, and often from their own personal experiences of having a friend or acquaintance with a gluten issue.

Yes, pharmaceutical companies are seeing opportunities to try and help us manage our diets or at least deal with the prospect of “being glutened”.

So many answers say the same thing.  Celiac disease is best once its diagnosed.  The gluten free diet is not easy and a financial burden.  We hope for better for our kids and grandkids who have inherited our genetics.  We don’t often get asked about the positive side of a celiac or gluten sensitivity diagnosis. Celiac is different from many autoimmune conditions in that there are no medications or difficult ongoing medical procedures.  The treatment is a gluten free diet; the prognosis, once on the diet is good and only gets better with adherence.  I’ve said it before, and I like repeating it – being diagnosed with celiac disease was the best thing that ever happened to me.  Now there’s an answer to a question I’d like to be asked.

A Conversation with Jessica Danford

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

On this episode I speak with Jessica Danford, who you might know as Gfreewifey.  Jess has spent a great deal of her time and energy setting up the Gfreewifey Foodbank.  Jess is empowered by helping people help themselves.  She has become involved in fitness as a way to help herself get healthy, and during her journey has attracted a dedicated group of followers.  She has co-authored three books, the most recent of which, coming out in September is “She Moves Mountains”.

You can find Jess online –

Instragram – JessicaDanford

or her website at gfreewifey.com

Gluten-free Lifestyle, Recipes, and Wellness – Gfreewifey

Join me as I explore and embrace a gluten-free lifestyle, try new recipes and restaurants, health and beauty regimes, and explore holistic wellness and spirituality.

Facebook – Self Empowerment Studio with Coach Jessica Danford

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

Empowerment is one of those things you can work to have and yet it’s something slightly different when you give it away. 

Jessica Danford worked hard to change the person she was into someone who appreciated life and wanted to share her positive attitude with others.  Her focus has for a long time been on helping others with celiac disease to advocate for themselves.  More recently she has pivoted her focus to helping others to advocate for a healthier self.

Either way, Jess knows what she is talking about.  The first time we talked for the podcast, we chatted about food security issues and she told me in the past she depended on a foodbank.  Once Jess is on a better path, she wants to share what she has learned to help others. 

She is creative.  She doesn’t just ask people to give her money, she gives people the opportunity to sponsor a great effort that she is doing, whether it be a physical challenge, self-publishing a book, or driving hundreds of kilometers to deliver gluten free food to her “families”.

When I think of someone who practices what they preach, Jess comes to mind.  Recently, she has started a podcast called “S*** That Keeps Me Up at Night”.  Just when I think Jess is finding a new way to self-heal, she stumbles on a way to empower others to do just that.

I’ve known Jess for a few years, and although I wouldn’t even attempt one of her workouts, I admire her ability to bring people together for a common purpose.  We all have different talents and this seems to be one of hers.  From that sprouts lots of new ideas and compassion to allow others to feed off her energy and enthusiasm.  Thanks Jess, for all the work you’ve done, and I know there’s more to come (no pressure).

A Conversation with Julie Greene of the Canadian Celiac Association

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

On last week’s episode, #172 I spoke with Melissa Secord, Executive Director of the CCA about things that were happening at the national level for Celiac Awareness Month.  On this episode I’m speaking with Julie Greene about everything that’s happening across the country to mark this month, and in particular Sunday, May 16^th, Celiac Awareness Day.  Julie makes note of all the cities and towns across the country that are having buildings, monuments, bridges and signs lit up green for Celiac Awareness.  As well, many chapters and groups across the country are hosting a variety of virtual events for celiacs, children and the newly diagnosed.  You can follow many of the events on the CCA website at https://www.celiac.ca/news-events/events/

As well you can follow the social media around Celiac Awareness Month with the hashtags –

#ItsNotPretend

#ShineALightOnCeliac

#GFOreoMoments

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

Receiving a diagnosis of celiac disease can often be devastating.  So much has to change, and it’s not easy.  Many of us found help through community.  Sometimes that means a new friend who shares your diagnosis, or finding another parent who is working through the diagnosis of their child.  For many of us, connecting through others involved with the Canadian Celiac Association has given us the bond of community. 

This past year has tested that bond.  We haven’t been able to sit around a table at a meeting, or a meal with our celiac friends.  We haven’t been able to share any of our baking or recipes unless it was virtually.  We haven’t been able to hold the hand of a parent struggling to understand the diet for their child. 

In May we work hard to spread the word, welcome others into our community and celebrate.  Social media is often very active with questions, advice and support around celiac disease and the gluten free diet.  May is a time to ramp that up, to stretch out our virtual arms to welcome many more in and show them the support available in our community.

For me, May is a celebration.  In years past the CCA often had their national conferences and meetings during May.  It was a time to re-connect with friends, be hosted by groups in different parts of the country, and enjoy the variety of gluten free food.  Vendors would come to show off their new products and most of us knew enough to bring a spare suitcase to fill for the ride home.  Awareness is something that can be shouted from the rooftops.  This year is different, and I’m so pleased to hear of the creative ways that members, and volunteers from across Canada has pitched in to come up with new ways to connect.  Like everything, when the pandemic is over and we go back to our previous lives, they won’t be the same.  We’ve stepped up our game, we’ve innovated.  We are reaching more people in more ways.  Shine the light – the future is bright!

A Conversation with Melissa Secord of the CCA

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

On this episode I catch up with Melissa Secord, Executive Director of the Canadian Celiac Association.  Melissa, along with her small staff is handling the promotion of May, Celiac Awareness Month from a big picture, national perspective.  We chat about some of the initiatives that are being done to “Shine a Light” on celiac disease, by having iconic buildings and structures across the country lit up green during this month.  If you live near a “Shine the Light” event, please take a photo and post it with the hashtag #ShineALightOnCeliac.  We talk about the tag line, or slogan for this year – “It’s Not Pretend”, how it was arrived at and who the target audience is.  Melissa is also able to share with us the participation that large and small companies as well as private sponsors are having during this month.  I was asked to make three recipe videos using Promise Bread products as a thank you to them for being a lead sponsor of Celiac Awareness Month.  The videos will be airing on the CCA’s social media beginning on Sunday May 16^th, Celiac Awareness Day.  Please watch and share – I really enjoyed making them (and you get to see me in my kitchen).  If you want to share other information about your celiac journey online, please use the hashtag #ItsNotPretend, to be part of the conversation.  There’s lots going on at the national level to do with Celiac Awareness Month, as well, there are initiatives across the country on a smaller scale.  To get the information on those activities I will be talking with Julie Greene of the CCA for next week’s episode.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

I’ve been involved with the CCA for many years.  Usually there is something special that I do to help with awareness during May.  Coming from this perspective, I am concerned about a post I saw on Instagram about Celiac Awareness Month.  This post was from another country, it was someone who I follow, but don’t know.  But it made me think. 

The post was a rant.  We all have the right to rant.  Goodness knows, a difficult restaurant experience, a debate with a family member, a lost opportunity to spend time with family and friends, all because of celiac disease, is cause for any of us to rant.  The subject of the rant was that this woman had been to three stores to get a variety of gluten free foods (she made it clear she doesn’t go out often because of covid), and found most of the shelves bare, and furthermore there were no specials, or signs mentioning Celiac Awareness Month.  She compared the effort of the stores and food suppliers to other promotions for vegan foods, or healthful diets.  She was very upset that she had been to three stores, couldn’t get what she wanted, and felt the large food companies were all take and no give.

The comments were very supportive of her and her thoughts.  Again, we all feel left out at times. 

I have a different take on the situation.  Yes, it’s upsetting and frustrating, but who is supposed to be making the companies aware of May as a special month?  In Canada, the CCA sends out press releases and has a very good working relationship with many large gluten free companies whom they don’t hesitate to ask for sponsorship for May.  Obviously, things are different in other countries.

How could this situation be different next year for this woman?  Get involved –

ask the celiac association why no awareness with food companies;

write to the food companies yourself;

inform the store managers about Celiac Awareness Month and ask them for the contact to speak to at their head office;

plan a local event to get the smaller, local gluten free companies involved; and

just do something to promote awareness with companies who have disappointed you.

The last thing I want is for us to feel like victims, and sometimes a rant does that.  On purpose, I didn’t respond to the woman, she didn’t need to be challenged when her frustrations are real.  I’m hoping though, that she will realize that awareness comes from all of us, and if the large food companies who supply her grocery stores aren’t with the program this year, something is going to have to happen to change things.  What’s the old saying – “be the change!”

A Conversation with Ellen Bayens

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

Happy Celiac Awareness Month!  This is the first episode of the month and that means I get to discuss a variety of different topics about celiac disease and the gluten free diet with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com.  Ellen and I chat about a Canadian study on the expense and social challenges of the gluten free diet.  The study looks at the myth of the diet for weight loss as well as some positive trends with those of us eating gluten free.  Ellen introduces me to Gnu Sante, a company making “lunchbox friendly” smoothies for kids that are gluten free and actually good for them.  Ellen and I talk very briefly about the suitability of a plant-based diet for those of us eating gluten free.  I acknowledged that this is a big subject, and deserves its own podcast episode – something Ellen and I will arrange in the near future.  Two very resourceful ladies came into focus on this episode – Selena Devries RD and Cinde Little.  Both have large followings on social media – Selena for her professional help with the gluten free diet and Cinde for her new “Healthy Me” course as well as her recipes and videos.  Since May is Celiac Awareness Month, I tease Ellen with some of the activities I’m involved with, including recipe videos and a curbside gluten free food drive.

NEWS FROM THE CELIAC SCENE
Study Confirms Gluten-Free Diet is Expensive & Socially Challenging

Introducing Gnu Santé gnubees Nutritional Beverage Snacks!

SELENA’S CORNER

• May 4th Celiac Disease Webinar for Registered Dietitians & Dietetics Students
• Join the ‘Celiac Symptom Relief’ Facebook Group
• Q & A Instagram Tuesdays
• Book an Appointment with Selena

GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES

Inspiration from Everyday Gluten Free Gourmet’s Kitchen

• Hundreds of Free Gluten-Free Recipes – Appetizers to Desserts!
• Healthy Me Course – Newly diagnosed? Confused by labels? Feeling overwhelmed? Help is here!
• Free Cooking Videos – Watch & learn at your leisure
• Blogs & Podcasts – be inspired!
• Online Class Calendar – Join one! Design one for yourself, your friends & family or a group!
• Sign up for Your Free e-Book

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

The pandemic has been challenging for all of us. Some cleaver few have turned it into an opportunity to connect with people virtually in ways we hadn’t imagined before last spring. 

Both Selena Devries and Cinde Little have worked had in their communities to help those with celiac disease and on the gluten free diet.  Both were expanding their work in their virtual communities prior to covid, and were well placed to meet new needs from their followers.

Selena’s Tuesday Q&A on Instagram is now a must check in every week.  It is fascinating for me to read the questions and then Selena’s straight to the point answers – some a couple of words, and some more in depth.  If you’re on Instagram she is a must follow.  You can find her at celiac_dietitian.

Cinde is so creative in her both her cooking and baking, but it’s her depth of knowledge about the gluten free lifestyle and her background as an educator that makes her a go-to resource both for the newly diagnosed as well as those of us who have been around a while.  Cinde has worked closely with her local celiac community to help educate the newly diagnosed, and is now using that knowledge in her new course offering.

I have had both Selena and Cinde on the podcast numerous times.  To me, they are virtual friends.  Once we can travel again, and events can be planned within our celiac communities, I’m hoping to meet in person with both of them.  Oh yes, and a special get together with Ellen Bayens as well.

A Conversation with Lukas Hahn

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

This episode started from a discussion with Ellen Bayens of theceliacscene.com for the April roundup episode 166 when she told me the story of a student from abroad, studying in Victoria in a homestay program, who was having difficulty as she required a gluten free diet.  Ellen assisted in solving the problem, but it brought so many other questions to my mind about homestay and a special diet.  On this episode I speak with Lukas Hahn, Manager – Homestay Program, Greater Victoria School District, who helps organize both the students coming to study in Victoria, as well as the families they will stay with.  Lukas gives us a great perspective on the opportunities hosting a student gives a family and large community.  We discuss what a host family is required to do, some of the responsibilities and some of the perks.  We talk about the practical experiences of a foreign student on a gluten free diet, as well as how families who are already gluten free can be invaluable to the program.  
https://www.studyinvictoria.com/ 

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

My brief experience with homestay was as an alternate family in the Rotary International Student Exchange Program.  We were the family who stepped in when the host family had to go away for a few days, or something came up that made hosting difficult.  We hosted two students very briefly, but it gave me a taste of the program and its many benefits.

One benefit that I wasn’t expecting was the food.  Our students came prepared to make a meal for us from their home countries.  This was a thrill, and the conversion to gluten free was relatively simple.  There was also a barbeque for the host families where a few of the students prepared special dishes.  I suppose I noticed the food more, because I was gluten free.

I thought it was all the more interesting in discussion with Lukas that as a gluten free host family, we would serve what we might find common, by way of recipes, or Canadian gluten free brands, but much of this would be new to the visiting student.  In turn, the student could tell us what was popular in gluten free where they lived.

I think I speak for many by saying I am anxious to plan a trip to somewhere different, and maybe exotic.  Time will come, but not just now.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a family in another country who was gluten free and could show us around, to all their favourite spots, and take us in a grocery store to purchase all the best gluten free they have to offer.  That might be my dream vacation – the world is pretty big, but I can see how hosting a homestay student makes it just that much more manageable and exciting!

A Conversation with Dr. Melissa Ing, Djenane Lemaire and Miranda Boynton

Let’s start the blog with the show notes for this Episode –

Every once in a while, I hear from one of my previous guests on the podcast that they’ve done something that might be of interest to my listeners.  This was the case when Dr. Melissa Ing, who I spoke with on Episode 106 “Celiac Disease and Dental Education”, contacted me recently about research and a poster project a couple of her students had done.  On this episode, I speak with Dr. Ing, and two of her students Djenane Lemaire and Miranda Boynton about testing they did on common materials used in dental offices to determine if they contained gluten.  The testing included soaps and hand lotions, as well as materials that went directly into a patient’s mouth.  The poster was very well received, being awarded second place in a large competition and being chosen for presentation at a major dental conference.  We talk about how dentistry can be a first line to diagnosis and how rewarding it was for the students to have their research project about gluten exposure in the dental office so widely received.

Sue’s Websites and Social Media –

Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com

Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com

Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast

Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA

Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com

Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com

Instagram – @suesgfbaking

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL

Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com

Other Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com

My Thoughts –

Some episodes of the podcast challenge me more than others.  This often happens when I speak with researchers or scientists regarding new studies or papers they’ve written.  The subject and results are usually quite exciting, but the terminology and recording methods are often beyond me.  I do my best to understand and take solace in the fact that most of my listeners are not scientists, and if I can grasp the basics of the research as well as the results, I can talk about them and help you understand as well.

My experience is altogether different when I’m talking with student researchers.  These discussions have been with student recipients of an award from the CCA JA Campbell Research Fund, as well as students mentored by a doctor or scientist with an interest in celiac disease.  It was a pleasure to speak on this podcast with both Djenane and Miranda, neither of whom had indepth knowledge of celiac disease prior to working with Dr. Ing.  Djenane’s parents are both doctors, with her father being a gastroenterologist, so she may have had an interest there, and Miranda also comes from a healthcare family, and suffers from gluten sensitivity.

Like Dr. Ing, it’s great to see these scientists take an interest in celiac disease and how it might affect their patients.  In researching for a study or preparing a paper, these students must follow a very straight line in their interest and stay focused on one aspect of celiac disease, but it’s wonderful to see them hungry for more information.  Both Djenane and Miranda had a real concern for their future celiac patients and were actively trying to meet their specific needs.

I could feel Dr. Ing’s pride in her two students, both in the recorded podcast and the discussions the four of us had around the podcast.  I felt proud that they allowed me to help them promote their work.  I’m confident that whatever course their education takes them in, they will know more than most dental professionals about celiac disease and will continually be trying to educate their peers for our sake.  Thank you ladies!